It is customary to pack relays in more or less prism-shaped bar magazines, whereby the walls of the respective magazine are matched roughly to the outer contour of the relay. The hollow bar magazines include openings only on the front sides, for the insertion of the relays. After filling the magazine with the predetermined number of relays, the openings are usually sealed with an adhesive strip or the like. Moreover, for transport, it is customary to pack a larger number of these magazines in cartons. The cartons are then sealed with adhesive strips and the like. Upon receipt, the cartons are then opened for further processing. The magazines are removed individually, are opened at their front sides and are individually placed in automatic placement machines, and the relays are then pushed out of the magazines with corresponding apparatuses before being placed on circuit boards or installed in other devices.